


Aftershock

by katswriting



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Infinity War, Spider-Man - Freeform, do we really except peter to just be ok after everything, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 21:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14121567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katswriting/pseuds/katswriting
Summary: Based on the song: Never Fade - Katelyn Tarverpost infinity warThe war may have been over, but it had clearly left its mark on Peter





	Aftershock

They were calling it the “Infinity War”, a war that determined not only the fate of the planet Earth, but also the fate of the galaxy. It had been brutal, but we had won. The world was calling it the ultimate victory and streets everywhere were full of celebrations. The threat was over and everyone was supposed to be happy and yet, looking at Peter now, half-heartedly attempting to participate in the dinner conversation, you didn’t feel that happiness. The war might be over, but it had clearly left its mark.

You observed him as he pushed his food aimlessly around on his plate, probably hoping that the movement would distract you from the fact that he hadn’t had a single bite. Glancing at May, who was also looking a Peter, you saw how tired she looked; worry lines etched on her face, which normally looked so youthful. You knew that she was worried about Peter and you were as well. Ever since getting back to Earth, he had been withdrawn, no longer talking animatedly about things that excited him. You didn’t miss the way he would flinch at a car backfiring, or the way his hands would shake whenever someone brought up the war, hands balling into fists to try to hide the tremor.

You didn’t know much about what he had seen or what had happened during the fight. Peter changing the conversation every time you brought it up. All the information you knew was from news reports and from what you had heard; it had been a hard fight. A fight that had claimed the lives of many of the Avengers and you thanked the stars that Peter had not been one of them. However, you knew that even though he had no physical wounds, he had not come out of there unscathed.

\--------------------------------

An elbow jamming painfully into your side woke you suddenly, eyes snapping open in surprise. Sitting upright, your eyes dart around the room looking for any threat that might be hiding in the dark. A whimper from next to you made you jump, and you looked down to Peter, a pained expression on his face, tossing and turning in bed. You let out a breath as you put the pieces together. Peter had elbowed you in his sleep, and from the look on his face; you could tell he was having a nightmare. Reaching over, you cautiously shook his shoulder, not knowing how he would react. He mumbled in his sleep, incomprehensible words, but you could feel the fear and pain coming through. Shaking his shoulder a little harder, his eyes opened wide and he scrambled up in bed, his back hitting the headboard painfully. Squeezing his eyes shut he brought his hand to his chest as he tried to calm his breathing.

Giving him some space, you waited until he had calmed down before coming closer to him.

“Peter…” You spoke softly, unsure of how to start.

He glanced at you before quickly looking away. He cleared his throat and pulled the blanket up higher, almost as if he was trying to hide. “I’m fine, go back to sleep,” he said, still refusing to meet your eyes.

You sighed as you looked at him. He was playing with the edge of the blanket and you could see the slight tremor in his hands. You could tell that he was lying.

“Peter, look at me” you knew he had heard you, but he made no move to look at you.

“You don’t have to pretend that you’re alright, not with me,” you said as you reached over, and took his hands in yours, holding them tight against the shaking. His eyes looked down at your hands before looking up to you and you were almost taken aback by the look of vulnerability and sadness in his eyes.

Pulling him in close, you felt him sink into your hug, his fists gripping the back of your shirt tightly. You shut your eyes as you felt him bury his face in the crook of your neck, feeling the wetness of tears on your shoulder. You weren’t sure what to say; you knew that you weren’t able to imagine what he must have gone through. Instead, you ran your fingers through his curls as he cried, both of you sitting there in silence.

“I’ve never been so scared in my entire life” you heard Peter mumble into your shoulder. You felt him pull away slightly and he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater.

“I can’t sleep anymore. Every time I close my eyes, I remember. Remember seeing – ” He cut himself off as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to steady his breathing. You tightened your hold on his hand, reminding him that he was here with you, safe in his room.

“I just want to forget.” He continued. 

“It isn’t fair! I didn’t ask for any of this to happen. I never asked to be bitten by a spider. I never asked to have these powers. I never asked to go fight a war in space and have to watch people die. Everyone I love gets taken away from me and I’m so scared that it’s going to keep happening” Peter was rambling, getting more and more upset and he went on. 

His shoulders slumped forward as he spoke up again.

“I’m tired of failing to save the people I care about”

“I wish I could give you an answer” you started, “I wish I knew the right words to make this all okay. Peter, none of this is your fault. You are not to blame for any of that,”

Looking into his eyes, you could see his reluctance to accept your words.

“You’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and you’re trying to do it all alone” you continued, “but it doesn’t have to be that way. You have Ned, MJ, and Aunt May. You have _me_. I’m nothing special, or perfect, and I know I can’t make this right, but I will always be here for you Peter. That’s not going to change.”

You could see a small flicker of hope in his eyes, but you knew that it would take time for Peter to be okay again. You hoped that it would get easier for him and he could feel lighter again, not weighed down by everything he had been through. All you could do was be there for him, be that person to lean on when it all got too much.


End file.
